The seeds of zinnias resemble tiny arrowheads. Although early harvest zinnia seeds may be green in colour, zinnia flower seeds are often a greyish tint. There are two different kinds of zinnia seeds: those that are produced from the petals and those produced from the florets.
An attached zinnia seed should be visible if you pull a zinnia petal. Floret seeds originally clung to the pollen florets, but they no longer do.
Floret zinnia seeds frequently resemble their parent zinnia more than anything else. There is a lot of possibility for variety and hybridization between the two parent zinnias because of how diverse the petals’ seeds seem.
The seeds of zinnia petals allow for gene recombination and frequently present surprises. In zinnias, recombination separates the DNA, giving each offspring the chance to have a unique combination of qualities from both the maternal and paternal parents.
Where can I find zinnia seeds?
Grab the petals and remove them out of the centre of the flower once the flower heads are completely dry and brown. The ends of those petals should be covered in seeds. The seeds will have an elevated spine running up their backs and will be arrowhead-shaped, pointy on one end and wider on the other. If taken from medium-sized zinnias, they will be roughly 3/8 to 1/2 inch long, less than 1/4 inch wide at its widest point, and brownish in colour.
When should zinnia seeds be harvested?
Zinnias are certain to blossom profusely from summer until the first frost, regardless of whether you planted them in your raised-bed kitchen garden, flower beds, or in-ground pollinator garden. (If you’re not receiving as many zinnia flowers as you’d like, try following these suggestions to boost bloom production.)
Take a fresh pair of pruners and trim the stems beneath the blooms as soon as you see that they are beginning to wilt or look exhausted (as though their time in the garden is coming to an end). The best time to harvest flower heads in the Chicago area is in late September or early October, when the weather is getting colder and the blooms appear to be past their peak. You can likely continue to enjoy your blooms for several more months if you reside somewhere with a warmer winter.
Step Two: Let zinnia flowers dry
For about a month, hang your flowers upside-down to dry until they are entirely desiccated. If there is any moisture present when you store them, mould could develop.
Step Three: Store dried zinnia flowers over winter
You have two options: either remove the petals and save the seeds in seed-saving packets, or keep the dried petals on and just put the whole blooms in a Ziploc bag. The neat thing about this is that when it’s time to plant, you’ll be able to determine by the dried petals what colour the future blossoms will be.
Step Four: Separate the zinnia seeds from the petals
Many seeds are present in each flower head, which you can separate by rubbing them between your fingertips. Each little spear-shaped seed would already be detached from the petal if you were to purchase a seed packet. It’s okay if the seeds are more tan than grey because they might not germinate. Still have a tonne of it!
Step Five: Sow your zinnia seeds
Wait until the last threat of frost has passed before you even consider planting zinnia seeds. If you still have at least 60 (ideally 75) days until your first frost and you still want to enjoy some zinnia flowers this year, you can plant one cycle of seeds.
Choose a location that receives full light in your raised garden beds, a flower bed, or an in-ground pollinator garden. For maximum bloom, zinnias require at least 8 to 10 hours of direct sunlight.
You can plant zinnias utilising what I like to refer to as the lazy woman’s method (trademark pending… just kidding). In order to plant in this manner, you practically shake the seeds out of your palm.
If the seeds are still attached to the petal, which is intended to enable the seeds be dispersed by the wind, use a small shovel or hand rake to cover them up a little. Give your seeds plenty of water.
If you’re the organised sort, you might use the colours of the petals you collected to grow an ombre field or a rainbow display of zinnias.
Take our Cut Flower Gardens course by enrolling in Gardenary 365. You will discover how to cultivate, gather, and arrange cut flowers in this online course. Inside 365, you’ll also have access to our entire course catalogue for Gardenary.
Zinnia seeds – do they sprout?
It’s crucial to understand the fundamental seed types, how they appear, and what to anticipate before you start saving seeds.
While open-pollinated and/or heirloom zinnia seeds are available, the majority of the varieties we plant are hybrids.
We get what they were bred for when we raise hybrids, which is a benefit. This could be certain hues, sizes, forms, disease resistance, or any concoction of these.
The drawback is that the genetic characteristics that make an organism what it is are present in only the first generation of seeds. Hybrid seeds rarely reproduce faithful to the parent if they are saved. And in the case of zinnias, this implies that the flowers you develop from those stored seeds might not be exactly what you were hoping for. They might be comparable, but maybe not exactly.
Your preferences will determine if this is even relevant. Personally, I enjoy all the fascinating and strange variety that zinnias provide and am not against to the unexpected.
Start storing those seeds if you’re the same way and wait to see what the following sowing season brings.
Remember that certain seeds are covered by plant patents as well, so you might want to double-check this first.
What Do Zinnia Seeds Look Like?
Some zinnia seeds sold commercially are coated, frequently with a combination of clay, lime, and perlite, and have an entirely distinct appearance. Handling and germination may benefit from the coating.
Wait for the Zinnia Flowers to Dry Before Harvesting
The zinnia flower heads should be allowed to finish drying on the plant. When a bloom is ready to be picked, it will be dry to the touch and dark brown in colour. An early attempt to harvest a blossom will provide immature seeds that won’t sprout.
Cut or remove the dried zinnia blossoms from the plant. Unless you don’t mind a combination full of surprises, make sure to keep kinds separated and labelled!
Harvested seed heads should be placed on a screen to dry completely on all sides. Depending on the moisture content and seed head, this could take a week.
Release the Zinnia Seeds
On a clear, level surface where you may work to collect the seeds, spread some paper towels. A paper plate should be placed there, and the variety name should be marked with a marker immediately on the plate.
To release the seeds from a dried zinnia bloom, gently “flail” the blossom, peel it apart, or rub it between your fingers over a paper plate. The arrow-shaped seeds are tiny. Some may still be joined to a petal’s base. In that instance, carefully remove the seed. Repeat this procedure with each dried flower you have, tossing the petals and saving just the seeds. Keep the different types apart.
Store the Zinnia Seeds
After the seeds have dried, store them for later use in a paper bag or envelope. Unless you don’t mind combining different zinnia varieties in your garden, separate the seeds for each variety if you have many. To help you remember what’s inside each envelope, label it.
Put the seed envelope in a glass jar with a lid and keep it out of direct sunlight in a cool, dry area. The closet works best. You can plant your seeds outside once the threat of frost has passed for the upcoming growth season.
Do zinnias reproduce on their own?
Will Zinnias Self-Reseed? Here, the quick response is “yes” There is a fair possibility that zinnia seeds will germinate and thrive the following spring if the plants are allowed to blossom and set seed.
Do zinnias return each year?
One of the simplest flowers to plant, zinnias grow quickly and provide a lot of blooms. Additionally, they will continue to bloom right up until the first fall hard frost. Consider trying zinnia flowers this year to add a huge splash of colour to your yard.
About Zinnias
Since zinnias are annuals, they will only produce blooms and seeds for one season before dying. The original plant will not reappear the following year. They are excellent for use as a cutting flower or as food for butterflies since they have vivid, solitary, daisy-like flowerheads on a single, tall stem.
Types of Zinnias
Zinnia elegans, the most widely grown zinnia species, has been developed to produce a large number of distinctive variants.
Single, semidouble, or double zinnia blooms are the three most common varieties. The number of petal rows and whether or not the flower’s centre is visible serve to distinguish between these forms:
- A single row of petals and the centre are both visible on single-flowered zinnias.
- Petal rows abound on double-flowered zinnias, and their centres are hidden.
- Between the two are semidouble-flowered zinnias, which have several rows of petals but discernible cores.
In addition to these shapes, zinnia flowers also occur in “beehive,” “button,” and “cactus” forms. Additionally, the plants themselves come in various heights: taller types function best as a garden bed’s background, while shorter varieties are useful as a border. There is a zinnia for every garden, in fact!
In an annual or mixed border garden, plant zinnias. Smaller zinnias work well as window boxes, edging, or in other containers.
To have a lot of flowers all season long, choose a place that receives full sun (6 to 8 hours of sunlight every day). Additionally, later in the season, foliar diseases like powdery mildew can be avoided by planting in an area with sufficient air circulation.
Although zinnias can grow in a variety of soil types, they prefer organically rich, well-draining soil. The optimal pH range for soil is between 5.5 and 7.5. The blooms will grow more quickly if compost (humus) is added to the soil. Find out more about soil improvements and getting the soil ready for planting.
When to Plant Zinnias
- Because they dislike being transplanted, it is advised that you start your zinnia plants from seed directly in the garden bed. If the correct circumstances are present, they will develop quite quickly from seed.
- It should be noted that zinnias can be grown from seed inside if you like. Just make sure to transfer them gently and young.
- Because zinnias are delicate to frost, wait to plant them until after the last frost in your area. See the frost dates in your area.
- Zinnias can tolerate daily temperatures as low as 60F (16C), although a range of 7484F (2328C) is ideal.
- To prolong the flowering time, sow a new crop of seeds every week or so for a few weeks.
How to Plant Zinnias
- Depending on the kind, place plants 4 to 24 inches apart. (Many common kinds are planted 2 feet between rows and 6 inches apart within the row.) For information about each variety, consult the seed packet’s back.
- Plant zinnia seeds no deeper than 1/4 inch.
- The majority of zinnia cultivars will produce seedlings in just 4 to 7 days, but it may take up to two months or more for blooms to appear (depending on planting site and climate).
- To promote air circulation, thin seedlings when they are three inches tall, spacing them 6 to 18 inches apart. As a result, powdery mildew is less likely to grow.
- To promote development and blossoms, keep the soil’s moisture level moderate and apply a mild fertiliser.
- Deadhead zinnias once they have finished blooming to facilitate the development of new blossoms.
- Since zinnias are annuals, they will perish with the first fall hard cold. Let the final blooms of the season fully mature before dispersing their seeds if you want them to reseed.
Zinnias still not your thing? In your garden, try them out for the following six reasons:
- With cultivars from the Dreamland Series, you can have a full-sized flower on a little plant. These zinnias are compact and dwarf, with stems that are 812 inches tall and totally double flowerheads that can be up to 4 inches across with a variety of colours.
- The dwarf, spreading cultivars of the Thumbelina Series have weather-resistant, solitary or semi-double flowerheads in a variety of hues. Their stems can reach a length of 6 inches, and their petals are 1-1/4″ wide.
- One of the largest and tallest of them all, the State Fair Series has huge, double flowerheads that measure 3 inches in diameter. Stems can reach a height of 30 inches.
- Typically, it takes zinnias 60 to 70 days from seed to flower (though it depends on conditions and variety). They are fantastic in a bunch of flowers!
- The tiny, narrow-leafed zinnias are great for hanging baskets and also make lovely dried flowers.
- Zinnias are considered to represent memories of those who have passed away. Discover more about the significance of flowers here.
- Zinnias may be harmed by bacterial wilt, powdery mildew, and bacterial and fungal spots. To prevent illness, keep leaves from getting too damp and correctly space your plants.
- Problems can also be brought on by caterpillars, mealybugs, and spider mites. Spraying should be avoided unless there is a real infestation because some leaf damage is not a problem.
- Thanks to their resistance to deer, zinnias may be able to prevent surrounding flowers from being eaten.
How can you tell if zinnia seeds are high-quality?
“As you may have seen with the seeds on the right, which are thick and ridged, a general guideline for seeds is that if they are good, they will be hard. A bad seed will be frail and flexible.”
Nicely put. When determining if a zinnia seed is “empty” or includes a fully formed embryo, I utilise the bend test. You can lightly squeeze a seed to determine if it is merely an empty husk or if it has a fully formed embryo and endosperm.
By the way, the seeds in the image above are petal seeds on the right and floret seeds on the left (with a couple of exceptions). Petal seeds grow at the base of petals, whereas floret seeds grow at the base of the yellow, star-shaped florets. Just like petal seeds, floret seeds may or may not germinate.
Since I cross-pollinate some of my own zinnia plants as a hobby, it goes without saying that I save zinnia seeds. In order to speed up the seed-to-seed process and ensure that I receive two generations per year from both my indoor and outdoor zinnia plants, I store “green seed” from still-living petals. This image demonstrates how to distinguish between “empty” green seeds and viable ones.
I can coax fresh plants into bloom several weeks earlier by sowing green zinnia seeds as opposed to waiting for the petals and florets to become brown and “dead,” which takes longer. The green seeds can either be planted right away for a speedy turnaround or dried for storage and use later. Saving green zinnia seeds also helps you avoid pregermination losses in brown seedheads during rainy conditions. It is a “goner” if a tiny dry rootlet is visible poking out of a brown zinnia seed.